ITV has confirmed that crime drama Unforgotten will be back for a fifth series despite the shock death of Nicola Walker's character in last night's series four finale.

The show returned for a new series last month after two-and-a-half years and has steadily grown in acclaim and ratings, with the first episode having consolidated to 9.5 million viewers.

In last night's final episode Walker's Cassie Stuart was revealed to have died in a car crash, prompting speculation that the show had ended, but ITV has now announced that it will return with a fifth series with Sanjeev Bhaskar.

In a statement, the broadcaster said: "ITV would like to thank Nicola Walker for playing the brilliant role of Cassie Stuart in four series of Unforgotten which has become one of the best-loved and most critically-acclaimed police dramas on TV.

"Nicola and writer Chris Lang decided that Cassie's story would come to an end last night, but that Unforgotten would continue, in series 5, with a new case, and a new 'Partner in Crime' for DI Sunny Khan."

The new series is expected to air on ITV at some point in 2022.